2i8 ROMANCE OF THE INSECT WORLD CHAP. 



disappeared it would suddenly dart out, and again 

 vanish a few yards farther on. But the butterfly has 

 been detected reposing, and its close assimilation with 

 the surrounding leaves was then evident. The 

 flight of Kallima is swift, a circumstance affording 

 great assistance to the fraud. In a recent paper, Mr. 

 S. B. J. Skertchly calls attention to the fact that leaf- 

 mimickers of several genera and Kallima among 

 them settle in a totally different manner from that 

 of other butterflies. The latter when about to alight 

 gradually slacken speed, but the leaf-butterflies ' fly 

 rapidly along, as if late for an appointment, suddenly 

 pitch, close their wings, and become leaves.' 



Keen observation would probably bring to light 

 many cases of special protective resemblance among 

 our British and European moths. Such as Agriopis 

 aprilina, Acronycta psi, and many others which re- 

 main by day on the sides of trunks of trees so exactly 

 resemble the gray and green lichens that cover the 

 bark as to be distinguished with difficulty. Bryophila 

 and many Geometers are the very images of the mortar 

 walls or the surfaces of stones that they frequent. 

 Numerous gray and white Geometers which rest on the 

 upper sides of leaves forcibly suggest the excreta of 

 birds. The well-known Buff-tip Moth (Pygcem buce- 

 pJiala] is admirably disguised by resembling a broken 

 end of a decayed and lichen covered branch, the 

 cylinder-like effect being obtained by the wings being 

 carried round the body. The Lappet Moth is also 

 very perfectly concealed by resembling an arid brown 

 leaf, both in shape and colour. As seen in flight, the 

 Yellow Underwing (Triph&na pronubd] might likewise 



